Breath operated flushing arrangements

ABSTRACT

A flushing arrangement for urinals in which the flush valve is operated without physical contact by the user of the urinal. An electric switch has a thin disc attached to the switch arm, which disc is activated by the breath of the user being blown against it. The switch closure effects the operation of the urinal flush valve through a solenoid operated by the switch.

O :2! United States Patent 1 1 3,731,929 Filliung 1 May 1,1973

[5 BREATH OPERATED FLUSHING 2,805,379 9/1957 Troeller et al. ..200 319 R x ARRANGEMENTS 3,503,056 3/1970 Vos ....200/8l.9 R x 3,445,614 5/l969 Switzer ..200 8l.9 R [75] Inventor: Jacques J. Fllliung, Chicago, Ill.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Sloan Valve Company, Chicago, Ill. 170,202 lO/I92I Great Britain ..200/8 I .9 R Filed: J y 1971 703,847 2/1941 Germany ..200/819 R 21 A I. N 162,4 1 pp 0 12 Primary [:Lraminer-R0bcrt K. Schaefer Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Vanderhyc [52] US. Cl. ..200/81.9 R, 4/249, 4/DIG. 3 Attorney-Howard T. Markey et al. [51] Int. Cl. ..HOIh 35/40 v [58] Field of Search ..200/8 1 .9 R, 81.9 M, [57] ABSTRACT 200/6152; 4/100 3; 73/228 273 A flushing arrangement for urinals in which the flush valve is operated without physical contact by the user [56] References C'ted of the urinal. An electric switch has a thin disc attached to the switch arm, which disc is activated by UNITED STATES PATENTS the breath of the user being blown against it. The 2,924,682 2/1960 Winterburn ..200/6L62 UX switch closure effects the operation of the urinal flush 2,853,592 9/1958 Gravel ..200/8 l .9 R X valve through a solenoid operated by the switch. 3,531,02l 9/l970 Bassett ..2()O/8I.9 R X 2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented May 1,1973 3,731,025.

2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR.

JACOUES'J. FILLIUNG PARKER, CARTER a MARKEY ATTORNEYS Patented M ayl, 1973 I 3,731,025

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. i U I 1 0 QT 6O 45 i fl 47 5 hgr 56 5/ i:

: 4e 1 53 V 55 Q 53 1 44 E v r ,7- I

l llv BLOW INTO MouTHR'EcE 52 Q TO OPERATE FLusHvALvE' 51 Fig.5 v Fig.6 Fig.7

v INVENTOR. JACQUES J. FILLIUNG PARKER, CARTER a MARKEY ATTORNEYS BREATH OPERATED FLUSHING ARRANGEMENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many plumbing installations it is customary to provide direct connected flush valves for urinals, which valves have operating handles on them to manually flush the urinal after a person has used the same. Many persons are reluctant to touch the valve operating handle for hygenic reasons, or neglect to do so, and as a result the urinal becomes fouled and obnoxious, thereby constituting a health hazard. It has been proposed to electrically and periodically operate the flush valves as by timing devices, but these schemes are matically operated urinals are usually located where toilet facilities are available and used by the general public.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved urinal flushing arrangement and method for operatingvalves which are activated by the user of the urinal without having actual physical contact with the valves.

A further object is to design a urinal flushing system in which the flush valves are operated by the user blowing his breath against an electrical switch controlling mechanism.

Another object is to design a new and improved urinal flush valve operating arrangement which is economical to produce, requires few parts, fits readily in a conduit box, is self-contained on the conduit box cover, is relatively vandal-proof, is readily operable and accessible to the user of the urinal for his convenience, and can be applied to any type of urinal installation utilizing flush valves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a urinal plumbing installation showing the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a full size view of the invention attached to the rear side of the conduit box cover;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the invention mounted in a conduit box;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a further modification;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of FIG. 6; while FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical hook-up.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a typical urinal installation to which flush valve 5 illustrated may be the well-known SLOAN ROYAL flush valve as manufactured by Sloan Valve Company, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., having an inlet supply control valve 6 connected thereto. The flush the present invention is applied. The direct connected valve 5 discharges into a urinal 7 through the flush tube 8 to cleanse the urinal fixture in the customary manner. Connected to the usual handle opening and supported on the flush valve 5 is an electric device 9 which may be either a solenoid or small electric motor. Upon being energized this electric device 9 trips the flush valve by means of the plunger in the handle coupling, as is well known.

Located preferably just above and to one side of the flush valve 5 is the novel flush valve operating arrangement indicated generally at '10. The location of this device 10 upon the wall surface is such that when the average person stands in front of the urinal 7 the device will be approximately the height of the persons mouth and to one side thereof so that he can easily blow his breath into the mouthpiece of the device without having to move too far out of his position while standing in frontof the urinal. I

The operating device 10 is of a size to readily fit into a standard conduit box 11, recessed in the wall 12, and to which the electrical conduit connections, carrying the wires to the electrical current supply line and to the solenoid 9, are attached. The operatingdevice lfi is supported and mounted directly behind a conduit box cover 13, fastened onto the front of the conduit box 11 in the usual manner by the fastening screws 14 as shown. Projecting from the front side of the cover plate 13 is a mouthpiece 15 having an open flaring front and a threaded rear end 16 passing through an opening extending through the cover plate 13. The mouthpiece 15 has a rear shoulder 17 which abuts the front of the cover plate around the opening therethrough. A notch (not shown) in the edge of the cover plate opening may engage a lug on the mouthpiece shoulder 17 to prevent unscrewing the mouthpiece from the front. On the rear side of the cover plate 13 a large flat nut 20 is screwed onto the threaded end 16 of the mouthpiece 15, which nut 20 serves to clamp the mouthpiece shoulder 17 against the front of the cover plate and a switch mounting bracket 21 against the rear side of the cover plate 13. This clamping nut 20 supports the entire switch mounting bracket 21 and mouthpiece 15 on the cover plate in a simple assembly readily removable and replaceable in the conduit box 11 as a unit and which may be sold as such.

Upon the rear end of the mouthpiece a threaded flange 22 is screwed and serves to clamp a protective screen 23 against the rear of the mouthpiece. The bracket 20 hasa turned up portion 25 projecting down into the conduit box I l which serves to support the enclosed electrical switch 26. A bolt 24 may be provided to further support the bracket portion 25 on the cover plate 13. The switch unit 26 is fastened to the bracket 25 by a pair of bolts 27-28 extending through the switch body and the bracket portion 25. Slots 29 in the bracket through which the screws 27 and 28 pass, provide adjustability to the position of the switch body 26 on the bracket, so the disc 35 can be moved closer or further away from the rear opening of the mouthpiece. The enclosed type electrical switch 26 may be of the M'icroswitch snap-action type and is provided with a long switch arm 30 having its upper end pivoted in the switch body and adapted to engage and depress the switch operating button 31 when the switch arm 30 is operated. Electric terminals 32-33 on the switch 26 provide for connection of the electric wires to the unit and a flat insulating plate 34 between the switch unit 26 and mounting plate 25 electrically isolates the switch unit.

The electrical switch 26 and its switch arm 30 may be of the type made by Cherry Electrical Products Corporation, Waukegan, Illinois, and is the Series 'E22-85HX switch. This switch effects switch closure with a very low operating force such as 2 to 3 grams on the switch arm and is therefore extremely sensitive to any slight force.

The switch arm 30 extends downward in a depending position and near its lower end has a thin disc 35 attached thereto by the rivet 36 extending through the center point of the disc 35. The thin disc 35 and switch arm 30 are both preferably made of aluminum and therefore light weight. The thin disc 35 is positioned against or very close to the rear end of the mouthpiece 15 as shown. It will be apparent that any force projected against the disc 35 will swing the switch arm 30 inward.

With the foregoing description in mind it will be clear the manner in which the flushing equipment is arranged to operate. The person who has used the urinal 7 and noted the instructions on the cover plate 13, as

' connects the electrical power to the solenoid 9 and this in turn operates the plunger in the handle coupling to I trip the flush valve and thereby flush the urinal fixture Numerous advantages accrue with this method of operation; the flush valve is rendered relatively nonhold-open because a person cannot blow into' the mouthpiece for any considerable length of time; the user of the urinal does not come into direct physical contact with any operating handle and therefore the device is sanitary; the urinal is flushed only at the time is is used and therefore conserves water over timed sequence flushing systems; the complete unit is mounted on the conduit cover plate and tits into a standard conduit box; it is relatively vandal-proof since it can only be operated by a person blowing into the mouthpiece; and finally the device comprises few parts which are cheap to produce and assemble.

It will be apparent also that the flush valve and solenoid are readily adaptable for concealed installations so that only the mouthpiece and cover' plate are exposed, with the latter located directly above the urinal and centrally thereof.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. This embodiment shows an arrangement in which the thin. blow disc .is exposed and arranged directly on the front of the cover plate. The cover plate 40 has a circular depressed portion 41 within which the blow disc 42 is arranged. The switch arm 43 is connected to the disc 42 by a pin 44 extending through a hole in the cover portion 41. The switch unit 45 is mounted on bracket 46 in turn supported on the rear of the cover plate 40 by the screws 47. A person blowing directly against disc 42 moves it back a short distance against the bottom of cover portion 411 to actuate the switch arm 43 and thereby trip the switch button 48.

One advantage of this arrangement is that a person blows his breath directly upon and close against the disc 42 instead of through a mouthpiece, as in FIG. 4, thereby insuring better response. Furthermore the movement of the blow disc 42 is limited by the cover portion 41 thereby protecting the disc from vandalism and damage by poking objects against it. In FIG. 4 a screen 23 serves this purpose.

In the modification in FIGS. 6 and 7 the operating unit is also carried upon the cover plate 50 and includes a shallow circular mouthpiece 51 of a microphone style which is secured to the cover plate 50 by the large nut 52 threaded on the rear shank of the mouthpiece 51. A screen 53 of somewhat close mesh is preferably soldered to a ring 54 at its periphery and this ring is held against a shoulder 61 formed in the mouthpiece 51, by a split snap' ring 55 snapped in a recess 62 formed in the mouthpiece, as shown. The thin blow disc 56 is suitably fastened to the lower end of switch arm 57'which is pivoted to the switch unit 58. The switch unit 58 is mounted on bracket 59 secured to the rear side of cover plate 50 by the screws 60. The disc 56 is arranged in close proximity of the rear opening of the mouthpiece, and could be resting directly against the opening without affecting its sensitivity. It is also to be noted that the disc is close to the front of the mouthpiece where a jet of air blown by a person will be immediately effective upon the surface of the disc without having a long passage to travel through.

, In all of the different examples of the invention it will be obvious that the complete device can be supported as a unit upon the cover plate and no additional parts or 1 equipment are necessary to complete the installation.

FIG. 8 illustrates diagrammatically the electrical hook-up of the invention. A person blowing his breath through the mouthpiece l5 and against the disc 35 causes the disc to swing the switch arm 15 against the switch button 31 of the switch unit 26. The switch closure connects the electric current supply 65 to the solenoid 9 and the energization of the solenoid effects the tripping and operating of the flush valve to flush the urinal in' the usual manner.

What is claimed is:

1 In a flushing arrangement for urinals having a flush valve and an electrical device attached thereto for effecting the operation of said flush valve, a wall mounted conduit box adjacent the urinal, a cover plate mounted on the front side of said conduit box, a bracket supported on the rear side of said cover plate, an electrical switch mounted on said bracket and located adjacent the top end of said cover plate, said electrical switch having a switch arm extending downwardly and being pivoted to swing from said electrical switch, a thin disc attached to the bottom end of said switch arm and positioned outside of said cover plate, said electrical switch being actuated by said switch arm which in turn is pivoted-by reason of the air with the associated switch arm and thin disc, are all arranged and supported upon the cover plate such that with the cover plate the entire assembly comprises a unitary structure removably mounted upon the front opening of said conduit box. 

1. In a flushing arrangement for urinals having a flush valve and an electrical device attached thereto for effecting the operation of said flush valve, a wall mounted conduit box adjacent the urinal, a cover plate mounted on the front side of said conduit box, a bracket supported on the rear side of said cover plate, an electrical switch mounted on said bracket and located adjacent the top end of said cover plate, said electrical switch having a switch arm extending downwardly and being pivoted to swing from said electrical switch, a thin disc attached to the bottom end of said switch arm and positioned outside of said cover plate, said electrical switch being actuated by said switch arm which in turn is pivoted by reason of the air pressure flowing against said disc caused by a person blowing his breath towards said thin disc, and electrical connecting means between said electrical device and said switch for causing operation of the flush valve upon operation of said switch.
 2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said bracket and said electrical switch, together with the associated switch arm and thin disc, are all arranged and supported upon the cover plate such that with the cover plate the entire assembly comprises a unitary structure removably mounted upon the front opening of said conduit box. 